we're getting there.....

[stoneage]

Congratulations to Wheels for getting recognized as a volunteer of the year for the MPRB. Another feather in our cap. :) :p :) :p

[mara]

Incredibly well deserved. Without you ( and Pete McKinney ) steering and pushing the rock cart, we'd still be at the bottom of the hill.

Your leadership has inspired me to pretty lame metaphor, but the thought still counts . . .

Thank you! and congratulations.

[manual63]

Sweet! Good job Shawn. It's cool he was recognized and I think it will help MOCA a ton.

Congrats!!

[Tex]

Very good to hear! That deserves a huge "atta boy!"

[syntaxjunkie]

Congratulations to Wheels for getting recognized as a volunteer of the year for the MPRB. Another feather in our cap. :) :p :) :p
Excellent news. Might be a little late to get it into the current MORC newsletter, but I'd love to have it featured in the Winter edition, which will come out in February. Please let me know if MPRB's doing a press release or something similar on this that we might pick up.

[berrywise]

Excellent news. Might be a little late to get it into the current MORC newsletter, but I'd love to have it featured in the Winter edition, which will come out in February. Please let me know if MPRB's doing a press release or something similar on this that we might pick up.

Charles,

Are there any set deadlines for submitting stuff for the newsletter? I didn't think to ask this time around but I had some photos and stuff from the Summit etc. If there were some dates I could write down that would help me remember.

[syntaxjunkie]

Yeah, I'm finally going to get my act together on an editorial calendar for next year. I'll post it as soon as it's done. We're good on images for this newsletter, but we'll need plenty for the Winter edition. Thanks for offering, Scott.

[nigel]

Congrats Shawn and the whole Theo crew, you guys put a ton of work into a trail would probably not exist any longer unless you did the work you did.

D

[homebrewbiker]

That is super-fantastic and warrants a fleet of dancing bananas :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Wheels]

Thanks everyone - I wasn't too happy that they don't have a group award, but I wasn't about to turn it down. At the very least it's recognition for the effort that we can build on.

Pete McKinney and I were singled out due to our time commitment this last spring. Both of us were doing consulting/freelancing this spring so it was pretty easy for us to work on the project as much as we did.

I just want to say something about volunteerism... It's one of the hardest things I've ever done - to be involved at this level. But it's also very rewarding. My GF says she doesn't know how or why I stay involved after all this time, after all the internal squabbles, the attacks from other user groups, and even from our own cycling community....

But it's been a great experience, and I'm proud of what we've been able to build together. I've met a lot of new friends and I've learned how to build good trails, and earned some hard-learned political skills.

I've tried to step back from the on-the-ground operations of MOCA since becoming President, in hopes of fostering some new leadership and creating some new opportunities. It hasn't been easy either, but this group will be what everyone makes of it, and there's still more work to do.

My primary focus now is to finish the job we started four years ago, and get off-road cycling into the MPRB planning and budgets. It looks like that's going to happen soon.

To be honest, I can't wait to leave the group and take a break - but I want to make sure I finish what I started, and move on to working with the MPRB to develop BMX and dirt-jumping plans (my first love).

MOCA and MORC are in constant need of fresh blood - those of you who are reading this should seriously consider upping your commitment - set a timetable, like one or two years, work hard and move on knowing that you've done your part.

If all you can give up is a couple of work sessions - then that's good too.

Thanks again. :)